What is the purpose of this organization?

Jun 28 2012:
TED - Technology, education, and Design. TED is dedicated to spreading ideas worth sharing. TED management can explain it much better that I. In the banner above go the the far right top line and select "about TED"

Jun 27 2012:
There must be a great explanation on the home page for TED, but roughly speaking, the TED organization is about featuring some of the most thoughtful people in the world presenting ideas they think are important for people to hear, and then giving others an opportunity to think about, discuss, and use those ideas in their own lives and work. To hear the talks in person has a significant cost associated with it, but to hear the talks through the computer is made available to anyone with computer access at no charge. Similarly, the TED conversations is a place for those who like to work through issues collaboratively to do so with other like-minded people, regardless of age, education, gender, educational background, religion, geographic location, or any other parameter that sometimes keeps people apart.

Jun 27 2012:
Now, of course, the purpose of organization is to make retrieval easy.
If the question is what is the purpose of TED (THIs organization) my guess is that its purpose is to disseminate cutting edge research to the masses in an approachable fashion to enable early adoption. TED conversations has more to do with enabling the consideration and discussion of issues that would bore the snot out of our friends and family.
hope that helps!
Debra